A production company was ordered by a Los Angeles jury today to pay actor Don Johnson $23.2 million for his work on the television series “Nash Bridges.”

Johnson contended he was owed as much as $105 million for his work on the series through co-ownership of the show’s copyright, but attorneys for Rysher Entertainment Inc. said the program actually had a multimillion-dollar deficit.

The Los Angeles Superior Court jury deliberated a total of about three to four hours late Tuesday afternoon and this morning. As they left the courtroom, the 60-year-old actor personally thanked each of them.

“I’m very happy with the verdict and that my copyright was recognized,” Johnson said. Johnson’s lawyer, Mark Holscher, said the verdict means Johnson could be entitled to another $25 million in future copyright earnings.

Juror Rodrigo Rodriguez said he was not persuaded by the defense raised by Rysher Entertainment, but found Johnson believable.

“He was very good,” Rodriguez said.

Another male juror said the jury reached its decision to award $23.2 million based on deductions for production, distribution and other costs incurred by Rysher.

During closing arguments in the trial of Johnson’s breach-of-contract lawsuit, Holscher argued that the actor only had to complete 66 episodes in order for his copyright ownership to vest. The show ended up running for 122 episodes from March 1996 to May 2001, Holscher said.

Rysher lawyer Bart H. Williams countered that Johnson made about $40 million from the show, mostly from his acting and producing services. He said Johnson was not entitled to anything more until “Nash Bridges” gets out from under a deficit that accountants on both sides agreed at one point was about $75 million.

“This case is about cash in, cash out,” Williams told jurors in his closing argument. “Are there profits to split from `Nash Bridges?’ The answer is no.”

When Johnson and Rysher entered into the contract in 1995, Johnson was still a hot commodity based on his earlier fame from starring in the 1984-90 NBC detective drama “Miami Vice,” Holscher said, while Rysher “was dying to get into prime-time TV.”

“Don was on top of the world, one of the biggest stars in the United States,” Holscher said.

Judge Michael L. Stern did not allow the jury to decide whether 2929 Entertainment and Qualia Capital have any unity of interest and joint liability with Rysher to Johnson. He will make that decision himself later.

The lawsuit Johnson filed in February 2009 alleged that because he was a co-owner of the copyright — producing with the Don Johnson Co. and Carlton Cuse Productions in association with Rysher Entertainment and later Paramount Television — he was entitled to half of the show’s profits.

The series that ran six seasons earned more than $300 million in revenues and more than $150 million from syndication, according to Johnson’s court papers.

When asked whether he had any film or television projects lined up, Johnson replied, “I’m just going to go home and hug my kids.”